Shloka 2.117.3
अत्र्याश्रमगमनम् तथा अनसूयोपदेशः (Arrival at Atri’s Hermitage and Anasuya’s Counsel)
स्कन्धावारनिवेशेन तेन तस्य महात्मनः।हयहस्तिकरीषैश्च उपमर्दः कृतो भृशम्।।।।
skandhāvāraniveśena tena tasya mahātmanaḥ |
hayahastikarīṣaiś ca upamardaḥ kṛto bhṛśam ||
Because the great-souled Bharata’s army had encamped there, the place was heavily fouled—trampled and made very dirty by the dung of horses and elephants.
Due to the encampment of the army of the magnanimous Bharata (here), this place has been filled with the dung of horses and elephants and made exceedingly dirty.
Indirectly, it highlights the worldly impact of royal power and movement; dharma in governance includes responsibility for the effects of one’s retinue on sacred or inhabited places.
The narration describes the physical aftermath of Bharata’s army encampment—setting the scene and emphasizing the scale of the royal presence.
No single virtue is foregrounded; the verse functions as realistic scene-setting, contrasting spiritual forest life with the disturbances caused by large armies.